The present invention refers to single-portion packages for preparing liquid products. At least some embodiments of the present invention refer to single-portion packages for preparing aromatic beverages such as espresso coffee and similar.
The present invention further relates to a system of single-portion packages adapted for different liquid products and to a process of using said system for the preparation of liquid products, in particular aromatic beverages such as espresso coffee and similar.
It is known to prepare liquid products, including aromatic beverages, by means of providing a respective precursor edible substance inside a single-portion package, including in the form of a substantially rigid capsule or of a substantially flexible pod.
The WO 2010/115970 A1 and WO 2010/139575 A1 disclose single-portion packages of the aforementioned type, presenting a structural envelope in the form of a lid part and a respective container part together defining an internal volume for receiving an edible substance and adapted to be traversed by a pressurized flow flowing from an entry side to an exit side disposed in direct opposing surfaces of said internal volume.
The GB 899,055 and EP 1344722 B1 disclose single-portion packages of this type and comprising an internal flow distribution element, either flexible or rigid, arranged so as to divide said internal volume into a free space upstream thereof and a compartment for the at least one edible precursor substance underneath. Said flow distribution element is provided at a certain position within said internal volume, thereby confining the loose portion of edible substance so as to prevent that in case of a smaller quantity thereof, it results in an oblique surface thereof facing the upstream fluid flow when disposed inside a respective extraction device. Moreover, said flow distribution elements present a plurality of flow passageways meant to uniformly distribute the pressurized fluid flow and to reduce the flow velocity over the top surface of the edible substance underneath. In particular, the EP 1344722 B1 discloses a flow distribution element retained in a fixed engagement simultaneously with the sidewall and with a shoulder element at a distance from the base wall and the coverlid.
The EP 1784 344 B1 discloses a single-portion package only differing from its prior art in that said flow distribution element is arranged at a certain position within said internal volume in order not to confine, but rather to keep the bed of substance in compression in the non hydrated-state of the substance. Moreover, it discloses a method for manufacturing a capsule whereby the flow distribution element is placed transversal to the hollow body and welded to the internal side of the hollow body and at a distance from the injection wall.
Prior art thus includes elements with a flow distribution function across the entire cross-section of the package and provided in a single position thereby either confining or compressing the substance underneath. In particular in the case of non-compacted granular edible substances, it would be advantageous to the overall beverage extraction efficacy, to have a confinement of the edible substance previous to the injection (so-called dry state) and to have said compression at the time of the injection of the pressurized fluid flow into the chamber containing the edible substance. Moreover, it would be desirable to have the possibility of adjusting these successive conditions within a given internal volume according to different types of edible substances and respective types of liquid products being produced based thereupon.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide for a simple and effective distribution of fluid flow inside a single-portion package together with the possibility of an effective confinement and compression of the edible substance stored inside thereof.
Moreover, it is a further object of the present invention to provide for a system for preparing different liquid products that is more effective in technical and economic terms, including in terms of its production and assembly.